Handmade. Vintage. Primitive.

Tag: inspiration

My husband and I recently fulfilled a nearly life long dream of mine: we biked through the tulip fields of Holland. It was an amazing and influential trip. I found the Dutch bikes so much kinder to my knitter’s shoulder and neck and promptly snatched up a cruiser bike upon our return. Of course, too, creatively my head just started tumbling over numerous new Dutch influenced textile pursuits.

Amsterdam served as the base of our trip, and what a feast for the eyes it is. There are so many wonderful things I could tell you about, but right now I am going to focus on the architecture and the quaint inviting neighborhoods. Each street bustles with bicyclists and pedestrians surrounded by the most storybook looking buildings you could imagine. Row house in brick and colorful wooden siding overlooking the narrow street and broader canals. It is an image that has lasted with me.

A neighborhood of charming little pillows.

Not so very long ago my new cutter lot of cashmere sweaters arrived. It included many brighter tones than I usually use, so they got pushed aside for a bit as I pondered what to do with them, and why on earth I had purchased them. And then it hit me. Neat little row houses, all hand sewn. I’ve started small; petite pillows with a door that serves as a pocket for each. It’s a perfect destination for a tooth fairy, or love note, or any little secret you need a small hiding place for. But the collection will grow into a sprawling neighborhood of cheery abodes. Watch and see.

Flea market junkies, bargain hunters, cheapskates–ahem, Frugal Yankees—that we are, CL is a haven. We’ve found sofas and antiques and cars, but it is also just the ripest picking ground for fiber lovers. I’ve bought and sold yarn, found rug hooking tools and supplies, and discovered vintage books of technique and design to die for. And my latest discovery?? Vintage Indonesian batik sarongs. Gorgeous. The design wheels are turning… What to do? What to do?